Overview

"Before John Glenn orbited the Earth or astronauts walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as ""human computers"" used their knowledge, pencils, adding machines, and writing paper to calculate the orbital mechanics needed to launch spacecraft. Katherine Johnson was one of these mathematicians who used trajectories and complex equations to chart the space program. Even as Virginia's Jim Crow laws were in place in the early 1950s, Katherine worked analyzing data at the NACA (later NASA) Langley laboratory. In 1962, as NASA prepared for the orbital mission of John Glenn, Katherine Johnson was called upon, and John Glenn said ""get the girl"" (Katherine Johnson) to run the numbers by hand to chart the complexity of the orbital flight. He knew that his flight couldn't work without her unique skills. President Barack Obama awarded Katherine Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, and her incredible life inspired the Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures."

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9781974979370

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Lesa Cline-Ransome is an award-winning writer and editor who has written more than ten picture books for children, including two ALA Notable books. A graduate of the Pratt Institute, she holds a Master's Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from NYU. Based in Rhinebeck, New York, she is married to artist and illustrator James E. Ransome, with whom she frequently collaborates. Bahni Turpin is an experienced audiobook narrator and actress who has appeared in numerous television productions as well as films. An ensemble member of the Cornerstone Theater Company, she also works as a yoga instructor. She currently resides in Los Angeles, where she founded the SoLA Food Co-op.

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